Conquest — Season 1, Episode 9: Weapons of the Gladiators
Documentary • 30 min • 2 seasons, 28 episodes • ★ 7.0/10
Episode synopsis
The ancient world boasted many special weapons, some of which became almost ritualized. Roman gladiators' weapons reflected gods, barbarians, and idealized warriors--of 16 different types! Our team works with tridents and nets, Thracian daggers and bucklers, heavy armor and short swords, no armor and long swords. Just like gladiators, they start with wooden weapons and progress to the real thing. But did the extraordinary styles and skills developed in the arena have any practical purpose? TV PG
About Conquest
Conquest is a TV show on the History Channel hosted by Peter Woodward. In each 30 minute episode, Woodward teaches his small group of assistants a particular type of weapon, or a set of weapons from a particular time period, while demonstrating their function, describing their comparative advantages and disadvantages, and discussing their history. Episodes have ranged widely across history, from "Stone-Age Weapons" to "Air Combat" and even including "Unarmed Combat". As examples of the broad spectrum, Roman weapons and tactics, SWAT tactics and ninjutsu have all featured.